Organisation

Regulator of Social Housing

27 stories · discussed at 15 council meetings · 19 councils

Councils are currently addressing Regulator of Social Housing judgements and aligning housing policies with its consumer standards, with improvement plans underway.

Councils are actively responding to Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) judgements and preparing for inspections. In September 2026, an EY report noted Tower Hamlets Council's social housing governance needs further improvement despite progress. Islington Council is implementing a Housing Improvement Programme to rectify a C3 regulatory judgement from May 2026, approving a £2.4 billion plan in August 2026. Croydon's Housing Services are preparing for an RSH inspection in Q3 2026/2027, with concerns raised in July 2026.

Other councils are aligning policies with RSH Consumer Standards. Redbridge Council adopted housing policies in September 2026 to strengthen management and tenant engagement, and Haringey Council implemented a Clear Communal Areas Policy in January 2026 for safety and compliance. Sutton Council approved a new not-for-profit social housing provider in August 2026, to be registered with the RSH. Upcoming discussions include Tower Hamlets' Housing & Regeneration Scrutiny Sub Committee on 5 October 2026 and Barking and Dagenham's Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 7 October 2026.

The Regulator of Social Housing is the UK government body responsible for regulating social housing providers in England. While some councils, such as Barnet Homes in March 2026 and Enfield Council in July 2025, have achieved the highest C1 rating, others like Hillingdon received a C2 rating in September 2025, indicating areas for improvement.

Key facts

  1. An EY report in September 2026 stated Tower Hamlets' social housing governance needs further improvement. Source
  2. Redbridge Council adopted four housing landlord policies in September 2026 to comply with Regulator of Social Housing Consumer Standards. Source 1 Source 2
  3. Islington Council is implementing a Housing Improvement Programme to address a C3 regulatory judgement from May 2026. Source
  4. Islington Council approved a £2.4 billion plan in August 2026 to improve its housing stock over 30 years. Source
  5. Sutton Council approved a new not-for-profit social housing provider in August 2026, to be registered with the Regulator of Social Housing. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 3

  1. Haringey Approves New Tenancy Strategy and Policy Haringey Council has approved a new Tenancy Strategy and Tenancy Management Policy, set to take effect from 4 November 2025, aiming to improve social housing standards and... Haringey 25 October 2025
  2. Wandsworth Council Forms Task Force to Improve Social Housing Following C3 Grading Wandsworth Council has established a Social Housing Improvement Task and Finish Group to address concerns raised following a C3 grading by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)... Wandsworth 5 October 2025
  3. Wandsworth Council to Audit Housing Association Performance Wandsworth Council is set to introduce an annual performance and audit report to scrutinise the delivery of housing associations (HAs) within the borough, aiming to ensure... Wandsworth 5 October 2025
  4. Hillingdon Council Housing Service Gets C2 Rating After Inspection Hillingdon Council's social housing service has received a consumer grading of C2, the second highest possible, following an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing. This... Hillingdon 19 September 2025
  5. Council Admits Breaching Building Safety Standards Brent Council has admitted to breaching building safety standards, potentially violating the Quality and Safety Standard. This prompted a self-referral to the Regulator of... Brent 16 September 2025
  6. Tower Hamlets Housing Rated C3: Improvement Plan Underway Following Regulator's Concerns Tower Hamlets Council is implementing an improvement plan after receiving a C3 grading from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). The grading indicates that the council does... Tower Hamlets 1 August 2025
  7. Tower Hamlets Approves Vulnerable Tenant Support Policy to Improve Fair Treatment and Housing Management Tower Hamlets Council has approved a new Vulnerable Council Tenants and Leaseholders' Policy, aiming to provide better support and fair treatment for vulnerable residents. Tower Hamlets 1 August 2025
  8. Tower Hamlets Council Faces Scrutiny Over Housing Policies Amid Regulator Concerns Tower Hamlets Council faced scrutiny over its housing policies at a council meeting on Wednesday, as an opposition motion highlighted concerns raised by the Regulator for Social... Tower Hamlets 20 July 2025